Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-25
SPENCER WIPED OUT.
THE COUNTY SEAT OF R0ANE SWEPT By A
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.
Flames Raging Ali Day-DsSpsrats Efforts 10 Save
POPsrty-A Strong Wind Pans the Fire-A
Heavy Loss lnAictsd-Del4ils Of
the Catastrophe

SDseial Tslegrum 10 tie Register.
RAYENswOOD, w Va, October "a
News reached here to-day from Spencer,
the county seat of Roane county, that the
entire business portion OF the town had
been destroyed by fire, involving loss Of
from 100000 to $4,000. The fire was
first noticed Friday morning, in the second
story OF Cleyenger's clothing store, on
Main street, opposite the Court House,
and spread steadily, despite the utmost
endeaYors Of the inhabitants to stop its
progress until twenty-six houses had been
destroyed, including the Court House, two
hotels, two churches, and eight or ten of
the leading stores.
There WAS at first no idea that the court
house WAS in danger, as ii wss more than
100 feet from the building iu which the
rire originated, on the opposite side Of the
way, and therefore no attempt WAS made to
save the records at that time, the whole
attention of the excited populace being
directed to saving the goods and chat:els
OF the buildings more directly in the line
OF the flames. These goods were in many
cases carried out into the ueighbOring lots
and open spaces, and were thought TO be
secure, but the flames from the. burning
buildings seized upon the long dry grass,
and large proportion of the yaluables
were either destroyed or badly damaged.
A good part OF the stuff thus second
time exposed was seized upon by excited
amateur iremen and thrown into the
creek, where the contact with the water
did not improve them to any great ex-
tent.
The heat from the burning buildings
soon became intense, and as the fire con-
tinued to spread hour after hour, the peO-
pie gave up all hope Of saving any Of the
central part of the town. The earth in the
burning district became intensely hot,
paving stones in the sidewalks cracking
from the scorching they received. The
populace worked especially hard to save
the Methodist and Presbyterian churches,
out those buildings went with the rest.
Finally the court house took fire, and
then party, headed by the County Clerk,
made an attempt to save the records. In
this work they were tolerably successful.
About all the public documents Of value,
dated since the war, were carried out of
the way, but everything prior 10 that
time went up i'm smoke. II was at this
point in the disaster that the clerk met
with heavy personal loss. While he wGs
intent upon saving the papers he noticed a
package of papers and letters in the out
side pocket OF his coat were smoking IL
very dangerous manner. Ii was but the
work ot moment for the clerk to pull of
his outer garment and toss il out of
urighbOriug window 50 what be supposed
was place OF safety. When the excite
ment was over and the official regained
possession OF his coat, he found that the
papers were a mass OF ashes and that five
hundred dollars he had in the pocket was
total loss.
The ire continued to burn all day, and
only went ont from lack of material to
feed upon. The principal buildings de-
stIoyed are as follows:
The Methodist and Presbyterian churches;
the Court House, brick structure, which
cost about 81, OOO; Chapman's hotel; DIR.
Bailey's drug store; d. W. Chapman's
general store; Adams x GOtl7S store; A.
A. Smiths general store; J. Simmons
general store; Caste x PeaIsOns general
store; Campbell's hotel, and several other
business houses, the names of the owners
not being known here, besides number
Of dwellings The total area burned over
ia about five acres, principally along Main
street.
Little information can be obtained con-
ceruiug the insurance. The following
amounts, however are supposed TO be ap-
proximately correct: ID w Chapman,
81, TGO; A. A. Smith, $1,000; J. Simmons,
81, 900 The insurance is very light.
Some Of il is held in Wheeling companies,
White having a policy in the Peabody
company.
The people whose dwellings were burned
we're left in very bad shape, and number
had to sleep out Of doors Friday night with
very little covering.
The spread OF the fire was very material
| ly assisted by the high wind which pre-
vailed, and it is Il wonder that whole town
was not consumed The only thing that
saved the portion Of the town still standing
WAS the heroic work Of the citizens, who
one and all labored with the energy of
despair. There was nothing IN the shape
of a fire department in the place.